There are many medical procedures that involve attaching tissue, such as a tendon, to bone. One common example is a torn rotator cuff, where the supraspinatus tendon has separated from the humerus. To repair a torn rotator cuff, a surgical procedure may be used to suture the torn tendon to the bone. Some procedures utilize large incisions and involve complete detachment of the deltoid muscle from the acromion. Small diameter holes are made in the bone for passing suture material through the bone to secure the tendon. Such large incision procedures are traumatic, causing prolonged pain and recovery time. Alternatively, arthroscopic techniques may be used to attach sutures using either small diameter holes or a bone anchor. However, it can be difficult to manipulate sutures within the surgical site using arthroscopic techniques. In addition, when knot tying is used to secure the suture to a bone anchor, it may be difficult to properly adjust the tension of the suture while tightening the knot.
Therefore, devices, systems, and methods that facilitate attaching soft tissue to bone, e.g., during an arthroscopic procedure, would be useful.